Starting over
by Lindit
Summary: Dawn Berlitz used to be the mean, popular girl. After a terrible loss she have to go back to her old school after two years, but this time she's a totally different person. How will the people at school react? Will she be able to fix her previous mistakes?
1. My (not so) perfect life

**Okay, first of; The first four chapters are originally written by my sister. I have been bugging her for a year to continue this, but due personal reasons she decided to just delete and forget about it. Luckily for me I got her old computer recently and I found this fic saved in her documents** ＼(￣▽￣) **! HAPPINESS OVERLOAD! So with her permission I decided to continue writing this.**

 **I'm kind of unsure about this as I'm not the best writer out here, but I'll try. SO YES, there will/ might be cliches and all that stuff ... :/**

 **Ok enough chitchat and on with the story!**

* * *

"MOM! Where did you put the hair ironer!?" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I angrily searched through the bathroom drawer. That was so typical mom. First she forgot to wake me up at exactly 6.30 AM so I could get plenty of time to put on make-up and fix my hair. And secondly, now she probably hid the hair ironer so that I couldn't use it! Do you think it's a bit exaggerating to wake up that early just to make myself look good? Well, for me it isn't. If you look good, you'll feel good. And as a plus, the boys will notice you. Gotta look sexy for the boys, right? Mom is always telling me I don't need beauty products to look good and that I already am pretty, but that's what every parent say so I don't really care. Or believe her.

"It's in the drawer, sweetie!" My mom's calm voice called back from the kitchen.

I sighed loudly. "You're lying! It isn't in here!"

"If you keep on searching any longer now you're going to miss the school bus!"

"I'm NOT taking that filthy bus!" I yelled back. "Give me the freaking ironer! It's an emergency here!"

She didn't reply, making me groan in anger again. I hit my head against the large mirror, but immediately regret doing that because of the pain that followed. I rubbed the sore spot and as I removed my palm from my forehead I spotted a red dot. Great! Now everyone would think I got a new acne over the night, and I didn't have any more time to figure out how to cover it. I decided to let my bangs do the job and exited the bathroom.

I went straight to my pink, cozy room and put on the clothes I prepared last night. I always picked out my outfits carefully the night before because hey, you never know what will happen the next morning, right? Maybe I could wake up late, like I did today. Thank you, mom.

Today I decided to wear a sleeveless black top, a short pink skirt, light pink boots, a super cute hot pink scarf and plain, white earrings. To finish the look I put on my usual white knitting hat and a beige leather jacket. I nodded at my closet mirror with a huge smile on my face. Super cute! I grabbed my school bag, also in pink, and threw it over my shoulder.

Now I was ready to start another day of my wonderful life. Well it didn't start well at all, but everything would probably turn out great anyway. It always does. Maybe my friends Ursula and Giselle would cheer me up. If I haven't mentioned before, me, Ursula and Giselle turn out to be the school's most popular girls. And at the top of it, we're also the three head cheerleaders! Ursula isn't as good as me and Giselle, but she appears to be very close to Giselle so she let her in anyway. But that's just a plus, right? This way we get to spend a lot more time together.

I walked down the steps when the smell of eggs and bacon filled my nose. I grimaced in disgust, annoyance filling my eyes. Didn't I just tell mom I was on a diet!? Then why in Arceus world is she making this.. this disgusting breakfast? Ugh, sometimes she's just driving me _insane_!

I entered the kitchen where mom sat on the kitchen table with her morning coffee and a novel. She didn't look up from her book as I strolled in. "Um, you do know that I'm on a diet, right?" I asked, eyeing the bacon and eggs covered with shiny fat.

"Good morning, sweetie," mom greeted me warmly, finally looking up from her book.

"Did you just hear me?" I asked, looking around the kitchen. "Do we have oatmeal or something?"

"We have eggs and bacon," she replied.

"Or maybe those healthy cereals, or whatever they're called."

"Well I know we have eggs and bacon," she replied once again, but this time she was giggling.

"Mom, I'm serious!" I whined. Wow, I really sound whiny today, but trust me I'm just having a bad start this morning. I'm not always like this. "Now I'm never going to be cute and skinny like Giselle! I bet SHE at least could iron her flawless hair today!"

"Oh sweetie," my mother said sympathetically, walking over to me. "That's not true. Dawn Berlitz, you're beautiful just the way you are. You don't need all those beauty products to make yourself feel better. Oh, and by the way, the doctor's overview came back yesterday. He said you're under weight, and you must take in more calories than you do now. That's why I fixed up this breakfast early today. I'm sorry I forgot to wake you up, honey."

"Mom!" I said loudly, dragging my knitted hat down my face.

"Dawn, please," my mother said in a soft voice. "I- I can't let you end up getting anorexic. I'm your mother. I would never fix this breakfast up for you if I didn't care-"

"If you cared about me I would get a healthy breakfast," I pointed out. "Do you want me to die from high cholesterol? Or from overweight?"

That was it for my mom. She started to tear up, tears rolling down her tired face. She hid her face behind her hand and turned away.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, mom! I- I didn't mean to make you cry! I just wanted to tell you to think before you act next time, okay? It seems to me you never do that."

"I'm sorry Dawn," she apologized, reaching out for her cup of coffee. Just as she grabbed it, she winched in pain, spilling the coffee over the whole table. I don't know what caused the sudden pain, but I didn't have time to figure it out if I wanted to make it in time for the filthy school bus. I couldn't ask my mom to drive me to school, not when she was in this condition. And besides, I already know the answer if I asked her to do so.

No.

Why? Because in her opinion the gas money cost too much, and as far as I know we don't have so much money. Mom is on sick leave at this moment, and as far as I remember she had been since my dad left us for about seven years ago. My parents told me they got a divorce because things just didn't work out between them, but I know better than that. I know my dad slept with some other scum of a woman. But what I don't get is why he would do that to my dear mom. Actually he is a really good person himself. I'll never understand some people.

"Um, so I'm off then," I told her quietly. "I'll see you later, okay? Bye!"

"No Dawn, there is something-"

 _SMACK!_

I slammed the front door shut as I quickly walked down the steps. The weather was kind of chilly today, and I adjusted my scarf. When that was done I peacefully walked down the sidewalk while humming a happy tune. My peaceful walking was interrupted as a car nearby honked at me, making me jump back in surprise. The window went down, revealing Ursula's smiling face. "Hey girly!" She greeted. She sounded kind of sarcastic, but that could just be me imagination things.

"Oh hi," I replied, eyeing the car. "Where'd you get this car?"

"It's Austin's," Giselle called from the front seat. "Are you getting in or not?"

I quickly got in, closing the door behind me. Before I could get on my seat belt, Austin hit the gas pedal and raced irresponsible down the street. Giselle and Ursula squealed every time he rounded a corner, only earning a half smirk from him. I nervously looked at the elementary kids which was about to cross the road, but neither of my friends cared about them.

"Oh my Arceus, Dawn!" Ursula's eyes widened as she looked at me up and down. "Your outfit is gorgeous, but your hair is another story."

Giselle let go of Austin's right hand and looked at me. "Doesn't matter. You can use my hair ironer when we get to school," she winked at me. "You don't want to look unstylish when you're going to ask Paul out to the dance, do you?"

"N- no of course not," I said, my face turning slowly pink. "Thank you! You saved me there."

"AND, we got to shop our dresses to the dance as well," Ursula pointed out, twirling her finger around her pink curls. "I think I'll get the purple one we saw yesterday at the mall."

"Great idea," Giselle commented. "Could you drive us, Au?" She asked her current 19 year old boyfriend, leaning her head against his arm.

"Sure thing," he winked at her.

I was somewhat jealous of her. She got the looks, money and everything she pointed at always became hers. But because she was my friend, I had to be happy for her. "Why don't we all go together after school?" I cheerily offered.

I got looks from both Giselle and Ursula before one of them decided to answer. "Umm, no offense but I don't think you can afford those dresses... You know, because your mom is so poor and everything," Giselle pointed out. "Maybe you can lend some old ones from me?"

Ouch. That burned, but at least it was true.

"We're here," I awkwardly announced as we arrived at the school.

"Like we can't see that," Ursula rolled her eyes as she walked out of the car.

I got out of the car too, eyeing the large school building. We were getting looks from the other students already. But that wasn't a biggie, we were quite used to it. Sometimes it felt really great too, to watch them fearing or admiring you. School was at least a place where I owned alongside with my friends.

I impatiently tapped my foot against the ground as I waited for Giselle and Austin to tear apart. Right now they were in the middle of their make out session, and they showed no sign of letting go from each other.

"Let's head in," Ursula said as she walked ahead of me.

"Wait," I called as I caught up with her. She was obviously in a bad mood so I decided to mention her favorite subject; boys. "Who are you planning on asking out to the dance?"

Ursula thoughtfully looked up at the sky as she seemed to think hard. "Actually I'm not sure. Right now I think Calem is really cute."

"Calem?" I giggled. "Well yeah, he is cute, but I think that geek Serena is heads over heels for him."

"Oh please, Serena!?" She laughed. "Boring blonde curls, obviously got a nose job, extremely shy... She got nothing on me! And the only reason she know him is because they're childhood friends."

I laughed too. "What about Ash?"

"Ash?" Ursula asked. "Oh, that kid is also in the football team. He is okay, but it seems to me that Misty is doing everything she can to scare off everyone who even dares to talk to him. It's like he's her pet or something."

"She's kind of scary," I sweatdropped. She's one of the few I don't dare to bully anymore. I used to pick on her and her friends, but that was ages ago. And there's a reason I stopped talking to her. Once she beat up five boys from the judo club, _in a row_. She also brings her mallet everywhere, and if you dare to say something to her precious friends you're lucky if she only gives you her famous 'death stare.' But if you look away from her scary side, she seems to be a loyal and sweet friend. I actually see her laugh a lot. Wait- what am I saying? I don't even care about her!

"Yeah," Ursula agreed. "Good thing I'm in the cheerleading club, so I can go talk to the hotties at the football club any time. Ash, Drew, Calem, Paul, Barry... They're all there! That's an advantage over those dull girls they seem to get very well along with."

"You mean May, Misty, Iris and Serena," I asked. "I don't see what they see in them either. They're so..."

"Plain and boring," Ursula snapped. "Let's teach them one last lesson."

"Don't you think they've had enough?" I asked nervously. "We've been after them as long as I remember. And besides, Misty will _kill_ us."

"So?" Ursula raised an eyebrow at me. "Hahah, don't tell me you're afraid of them!?"

"No, that's not it." I bit my lip. I really didn't feel like picking on anyone today. Just when we turned a corner, someone slammed into me. Ugh, this day really wasn't starting out any good! I fell straight to the ground, hitting my arm against the wall beside me.

Before I could look up to see the person I collided into, Ursula started yelling at the person. "Watch where you're going, fatty!"

The girl rubbed her chestnut colored hair, her beautiful sapphire colored eyes looking up at Ursula's angry face. I wouldn't say she was fat, more like chubby. I remembered her as May Maple.

"Um, excuse me?" May gave us a confused look. "The name's May if you forgot. "

"I don't care," Ursula snapped. "You're taking too much space in this crowded hallway, and that leads to innocent students falling over and getting hurt!"

"And since when did you care about other people?" A girl with long, purple hair asked fearlessly as she offered May a hand. "Are you okay?" Her dark brown eyes were full of worry, and I recognized her as Iris Dragonlight.

"May!" Two other girls ran towards us, both gathering around May.

"Do you need help to get to the nurse?" A girl with a straw-hat and curly blonde hair asked.

"I'll help you up as well," the redhead known as Misty also offered as the rest gathered up her books from the floor.

"Thank you guys, but I'm okay," May smiled warmly at them.

I didn't realize that I was staring at them in admiration. Obviously it looked like they really cared about each other, and I felt a sting of jealousy. Only a sting, okay? Me and my friends cared a lot about each other too. Didn't we?

"Okay Dawn, stop exaggerating and get the hell up! " Ursula rolled her eyes. "We got to find Giselle so we can iron that messy hair of yours."

"Mind to help me up?" I asked. "My arm hurts."

"Arceus, Dawn! You don't walk with your arms, but with your legs. And they're not hurt!" Ursula started walking towards the girl's toilets.

I sighed as I quickly got up and brushed my skirt. Before I walked off I gave May an icy cold glare. "Next time, watch where your fat is bouncing."

"And next time, watch where you're going. It kinda looks hard over that big ego of yours," Misty snapped.

"Ooh!" Serena chanted as she slapped the redhead a high five.

Was that the best they got? I turned and looked over at Serena's bag. "And Serena, that 'Gucci' bag is _fake_." Knowing Serena well, an comment like that would hurt her to tears. She was sensitive, and that may be the reason I got tired of her in the start. But that's another story.

I turned to check their reaction, but surprisingly they didn't even look my way. Instead the boys from the football club gathered around them, checking them out. Paul was one of them, but he was busy talking to May with an concerned face expression. Why did they care so much about those girls? Paul should be the one running after me asking if I was okay. I did fall too, after all.

* * *

Finally, lunch time! My crappy day became much better after I ironed my hair, and also when I got A on the math test. Ursula and Giselle didn't know about the A, and if they did they would just laugh at me while calling me 'geek' and claim that I had no life. Not my fault I paid attention to the math teacher unlike them.

We enjoyed the attention as we strolled into the cafeteria, watching people nearby walking out of our way. Like Rattatas. Giselle nudged my arm as she nodded towards Paul. He was sitting at a table near the window, writing something down on a sheet of paper. I winked at Giselle and made my way towards him. Okay this is it. This is the day.

Paul didn't look up before I spoke to him. "Hi," I said sweetly, running my hand through my curls.

"Hi," he muttered coldly. Paul wasn't so talkative, and he seemed to enjoy sitting peacefully and write for himself. At first glance he looked like a cold and scary person, but when you actually get to know him he is really nice. Or that's what I'm told. I wonder what he always wrote about. Maybe it was a poem?

"Is anyone sitting here?" I asked in the same sweet tone.

"No," he shortly replied.

I sat down next to him and put on my warmest smile. He didn't look at me, not even once. I frowned at this. Usually the boys gave me their full attention when I talked to them. "Um, so..."

"Mhm?" He said emotionlessly, continuing to write down words.

"What are you always writing? Is it a poem? I love poems!" That was a lie. I hate poems, they're long and they never end for some reason. But if he liked it I didn't have a problem with it. It was kind of cute. You don't see boys read or write poems a lot lately.

"Look," he sighed. "I know you didn't came here to ask me about poems, what do you want?"

"What I want?" I asked with a playful smirk. "Actually I was about to ask _you_ something."

Paul gave me a confused look. "Ask me about what?"

"Do you want to go to the dance with me on Friday?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Paul didn't seem to be taken back or surprised, he had the same emotionless expression as before. He laid down his pencil and sighed once again. The students sitting around us stopped eating and looked interested at us. Suddenly the noisy cafeteria became silent, everyone waiting for Paul's reply. "I'm afraid I got to say no this time."

"Huh!?" Me and a lot of other students yelled in surprise. I actually turned down a lot of boys last week, but that's nothing compared to the football captain turning down the head cheerleader! We're like, meant to be!

Soon people started murmuring and whisper amongst each other, pointing and laughing at me. I was hurt, but I managed to ask Paul another thing. "But, why? How come, I don't.."

"Well you are pretty, Dawn. But outer appearance is not something I'm looking for. That's why," Paul simply replied, gathering together his books and pencils.

He got up and moved to another table with his friend Drew, leaving me speechless with my mouth open. I looked over at Giselle and Ursula, but they were walking towards the door while laughing uncontrollably. I got up to run after them, and as I did so, more students were laughing and pointing at me. They couldn't believe what they saw, but neither could I. I dashed out of the cafeteria to look after Giselle and Ursula, but they were nowhere in sight.

I shakily walked over to the girl's toilets to hide, but as I heard talking I stopped by the door and eavesdropped. I know it is a wrong thing to do but I really didn't care anymore.

"What a loser!" Ursula's voice taunted. "Did you see her face? She should totally see that one coming!"

Giselle was also laughing. "That was priceless! I can't believe she thought he was going to agree going out with her. He's way outta her league, even though she's friends with us. Even though she only get to hang out with us because she's kind of good in cheerleading. _Everyone_ knows that."

"Yeah, just because she got a pretty face doesn't that mean-"

I've had enough. I didn't care about other people laughing at me at the cafeteria, but my own friends also making fun of me instead of comforting? That was just too much. Everyone important in my life just seemed to end up hurting me. My dad, Ursula, Giselle, maybe Paul if that counts... Was there anyone who actually cared about me?

"Mom!" I screamed as I dashed though the school's front door. The only person who comforted me when I'm sad, the only person who raised me up by herself, the only person who truly loved and cared about me... It was my own mom. And yet I said all those mean things to her just because I didn't find the hair ironer! What kind of daughter am I? That sad face she got this morning also saddened me at this very moment. I really am stupid. Running home in tears because I realized I was being unfair all this time, after seven freaking years.

I ran all the long way home, jumping over the high fence and jumped up the stairs. Then I ringed the doorbell multiple times, but no answer.

"Mom, please," I begged, biting my underlip.

"Dawn?" A voice called beside me. I hopefully looked at the person, but my face fell as the person just turned out to be my neighbor. My neighbor was a kindhearted, old lady called Macy who was a good friend of mom. Her face usually lights up every time she sees me, but now her face was full of worry and sadness. "Oh, Dawn," she repeated sadly, putting a hand on her chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"It's Johanna," she said quietly.

"No," My legs failed and I fell down to my knees. I shook my head as tears continued to flow down my cheeks. "No..."

"The ambulance carried her to Twinleaf Hospital, but you can stay with me for so-"

"Thank you for the offer," I managed to scream as I dashed towards the street. "But I'll head towards the hospital for so long!"

"Be careful!" The old lady sympathycally called after me. Then she looked down at the grass as tears rolled down her cheeks too. "Oh that poor, poor child. I wonder if Johanna already told her."

I didn't look left and right as I usually do when I crossed the streets, I just ran forward, ignoring the car's honking and people yelling after me. Everything became blurry as tears continued to roll down my face. The only thing on my mind was to get to that hospital as fast as possible. Twinleaf wasn't a big city, so I got there after ten minutes of nonstop running. I dashed in the front door, almost knocking over three people in the process. Merely throwing a apology over my shoulder I continued to race forwards. "Is Johanna here!?" I screamed at the nurse at the reception.

The nurse seemed to be surprised by my screaming, but she managed to keep her cool. "Johanna..." she looked through some papers. "Are you Dawn Berlitz?"

I held onto the large table for support as I panted heavily. I nodded slowly as my blue hair fell over my face.

"Oh, Fiona and Brian Berlitz are looking for you. You'll find them in section..."

"No need for that," a familiar, manly voice said behind me. "We have been here all this time waiting for you."

I turned around wide eyed, standing face to face with the last person I wanted to see right now. The person who hurt me and my mother for so many years. That person and his scum of a wife, was standing right in front of me! Arceus, please let this be a horrible nightmare. This was the last thing I needed on this crappy day.

"It's nice to finally see you again, Dawn," he said with a kind smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

* * *

 **Yes, I know. Dawn is terribly OOC in this chapter, but you could see she wasn't really mean if you squinted a bit. But don't worry, she won't stay that way through this whole fic.**

 **So what do you guys think? Should I continue or just give up on this? I know it isn't the best but I have tons of fun writing (or editing as for now) and that's what keeps me continuing. Please review and tell me what you think :)**

 **The pairings will be Ikari (obviously), and slight Contest and Poke. I have no idea who to pair Iris and Serena with so don't hesitate to suggest a pairing! (And sorry, not Cilan) I love Crackpairings and I'd like to try something new, so preferably something like that.**

 **Until next time!**


	2. When it falls apart

**Thank you all so much for taking the time to read/ review/ follow / favorite this story! I appreciate each one of you :)  
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I couldn't move. It felt like time had stopped and I was frozen at this very moment. The world was spinning all over the place, and I couldn't believe this was happening. My dad, Brian Berlitz, was standing right in front of me with his usual, kind smile plastered on his face. Looking at his smile brought back floods of memories, mostly good ones. But this wasn't a happy moment, then why the heck was he smiling for!? Was he happy my mom was hospitalized? All of sudden all my sadness washed away, only leaving a burning rage inside of me.

"Are you okay, dear?" Dad asked in a calm tone, raising his hand to stroke my hair.

By the sight of his hand moving towards me, I broke my frozen state and jumped back. I still wasn't able to say anything, but I don't think they expected me to speak either. I looked into the long hospital hallway to my right, wondering if my mother was resting in one of those rooms. I got to get there fast. I was just wasting my time here. I don't know what happened to my mom, maybe she was about to die any moment now?

"Maybe we should leave her alone for a bit? She's probably in shock now," the blonde woman beside dad suggested with a worried look on her face. I didn't need my dad's sympathy, nor that woman's. The only one I needed at this moment was my mom.

I got tired of wasting time with unimportant people and dashed towards the hallway. Some people, probably that nurse and dad, called after me, but I continued to run as fast as I could. Mom could be anywhere, so I decided to search at the top floor first. If they found me they would force me to come back with them. Instead of taking the elevator I ran up the stairs. I heard multiple footsteps running behind me so I ran faster. I was tired after running all the way to the hospital, but I surely didn't run for nothing!

The footsteps came closer so quickly hid behind some plants placed at the second floor. I heard my dad used to be one of the best runners back in high school, so if he still was in great shape he would catch up on me any time. Good thing I wasn't that tall, so I was completely hidden behind those large plants. I carefully peeked out, but quickly hid again when I saw dad and his new wife. "Let's split up," my dad ordered. "She doesn't know where Johanna is, so I highly doubt she's with her. She could be anywhere! I'll search at the top floor, and you take the first. And then we'll meet at the middle."

"Right," the blonde woman nodded as she ran down the stairs again. How annoying. Why were they so obsessed with getting me under their wings? Where were they all those years?

When I couldn't hear any more footsteps, I got out of my hiding place and dashed into the hallways of the second floor. I quickly opened a random patient room and peeked inside. But nope, no mom. Only an empty bed.

I opened the next one, but there were just some doctors looking weirdly at me in there. And the next door. And the next. And the next.

I heard footsteps once again, and I panicky tried to open a door to a patient room, but it was locked! I desperately tried to open the next, but it was also locked. It was probably that blonde woman that was done searching at the first floor. I looked left and right and ran towards a room with an slightly open door. Bingo! I could hide in there.

Just as I dashed into that room, I saw a glimpse of the blonde woman. I held my breath as she walked towards my direction. She stopped for a moment right next to the room I was hiding at, but quickly walked forwards again. I sank down to my knees and exhaled in relief, wiping my sweaty forehead. I finally looked up and glanced around the white, cold room I was at. The room was quite empty, but with a bed in the middle and a bedside. The bedside was full of different medicines, and the person who was lying on the bed had multiple wires connected to his body.

I got up to my feet again, about to exit the room. The poor person may needed some rest. As I was about to reach for the door handle, I found something extremely familiar with that person. It wasn't a he, but a she. Even though she was bald.

I carefully walked closer to the bed, looking at the pale woman laying there so peacefully. I looked at her hand, noticing that she wore the same bracelet I made to my own mom at my first day at kindergarten. Wait, wait... Same bracelet!? I looked up at her face again as I slapped my hand across my mouth. No, it couldn't be... No!

I burst down in tears again, breathing heavily. That was none other of my own mom that laid there so peacefully and beautiful. Her face was pale, and her wrists so thin. When did she became this skinny? Why did I never notice?

"Oh, mom," I sobbed, collapsing next to her bed, resting my head at her chest. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, please come back. I'm so stupid, I'm sorry if I did this to you. I love you so much."

I covered my face in shame as I cried even more. My own mother was about to die. Judging by her bald head, she probably had some kind of cancer. Why did I never notice? How selfish have I been?

A sudden pat on my shoulder made me look up hopefully. My mom's hand was resting on my shoulder while a single tear slowly rolled down her cheek. "Mom? Are you okay?" I whispered hopefully between my sobs.

But there was no reply. I carefully grabbed her cold lifeless hand, bringing it up to my face as I gently stroke it against my warm cheek. I have no idea how long I had been in this room, but for her I could be here all my life. I couldn't bring myself to leave, never. I shakily got up and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

The sight of a book on her bedside caught my attention. It was a light blue book with white clouds on. It also had a lock, reminding me of some diary. On the front there was also a yellow note, reading 'To my dear daughter Dawn.'

A diary? For me? I hesitated for a moment before grabbing the diary and flipping through the pages. The pages were colored light blue, my second favorite color. I browsed to the very first page, where someone had written something.

 _To my dearest daughter Dawn_

 _Even though you didn't believe me, you truly looked beautiful today like any else day. And that's how I'll remember you forever. You see, this is the last day I'll see your beautiful face, dazzling midnight blue eyes and hear your infectious laughter. I'm very sorry it had to end like this, my dear._

 _I have been suffering from leukemia since I was a little girl. Till today I've been fighting for way too long. The disease has been on and off this whole time, but it looks like the disease won the war this time. The doctors told me last month I only had a few weeks left to live and I myself couldn't believe this. I couldn't bring myself to tell you, and I hope you're not angry with me. I am so very sorry, sweetheart._

 _Your dad and Fiona had offered you to live with them in Cherrygrove City in Johto. I know it won't be easy in the start, but please consider it. You will get a fresh start and a break from your daily life here in Twinleaf Town. I hope you're not too angry with your father. He is a kind and caring person, and it would make me very happy if you could give him a second chance. Knowing you, you probably will._

 _I have one last request. Please don't be depressed or unhappy because I'm away now. Please continue to be the happy, cheerful person you always have been. And please continue to bring joy to everyone around you. Do you think you could do that? Either way, it's your choice my dear and I am proud of you no matter what you do._

 _Love forever and always,_

 _your mother._

I pressed the diary against my chest as the tears continued to flow down my face. This was it, my dear mother was gone now. I couldn't believe she wasn't mad at me because of my behavior towards her lately. I guess there rarely are someone who loves and cherish you as much as your own mother.

As I was sitting at the floor beside my mom crying, some people entered the room. I didn't look up because I had an idea of who it could be. Someone gently put a hand on my shoulder, and I slowly looked up with tears flooding down my face. I wish I didn't put on so much makeup, and especially so much mascara. Right now I could scare away Vin Diesel by just looking at him.

My dad was looking back at me with puffy eyes and tears rolling down his own face too. Suddenly I got the urge to embrace him like I used to do. When I used to sit beside the front door and wait for him to return from work. When I heard the keys in the lock, I would get up and embrace him with hugs and kisses. And then he would spin me around and around, until my mother scolded him for being so careless.

I got up and jumped right into his strong arms, wrapping my small arms around his neck as I continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he apologized as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm so sorry."

And that's the last thing I remember of that day.

* * *

 **2 years later**

 _Dear diary_

 _Do you sometimes wish life had a replay button? I mean if you did something incredibly dumb or foolish you could just push the button and you could get another chance? Well I have done so many incredibly dumb things all my life, but I know I can't push that magic button. I got to handle difficulties that pop up in the old way. But, I have been very lucky even though I don't deserve it. After the terrible loss of my mother, my dad welcomed me into his new family with open arms. And as a plus, he lived in Johto, far away from Sinnoh where I messed up my own and other people's lives. I wonder how they're doing now. But back to topic;_

 _I don't even deserve a new chance, not after all the people I've hurt. Even my dad's new wife Fiona is really nice to me, even though I was cold and skeptic towards her and dad in the beginning. I don't see her as a mom, but more like an older sister. She actually looks pretty young, and when we go out shopping people mistake us for being sisters. It's actually kinda funny :-) I was also kind of rejecting towards dad too, but he was being really patient with me. My mom wished me to become a part of this family, so I did so even though it wasn't easy. Actually, only after a few weeks I really felt at home! I also got a cute six year old little sister named Erika. She got cute, pink curls and big blue eyes. I was jealous of her in the beginning because dad could swing her around like he used to do with me before, but when I really got to know her I found her really adorable. She was very excited of getting an older sister, and she's playing the role as little sister very well. So yeah. Every brick is falling to right place as for now._

"Dawn! It's dinner!" Fiona yelled from the kitchen.

"Okay, I'm coming!" I yelled back with a smile.

 _But it's time for dinner now, so I'll stop here._

 _\- Dawn_

I closed the diary and locked it with the small key I kept as a necklace. That way no one could open the diary. I got up from my comfy, blue bean bag and walked out of my room. I wasn't the old Dawn I used to be. My outer appearance surely didn't change. My height hasn't changed much and I still had long midnight blue hair and blue eyes, but my personality was totally different. It has been changing since that traumatizing moment I realized my mom was dead at the hospital. It wasn't the fact that she was gone that hurt the most, but the fact that I had been so cruel to her. Especially that morning just because of some hair ironer and a piece of bacon. Because of that I stopped ironing my hair and using beauty products. Not only does it bring back bad memories, but it also kills the environment and the rainforest. And I also stopped caring so much about what I eat, and now I mostly eat everything I get served. I know that would make my mother happy, and also my new family. Because I got a new chance I couldn't bring myself to disappoint them on purpose. From now on I'll continue to do my best.

I entered the kitchen to the lovely smell of lasagna. My very favorite! My dad and Erika already sat by the table while Fiona prepared the dinner. "Do you need any help?" I offered.

"No thanks, sweetie," Fiona smiled as she placed the lasagna at the table. "It's all done."

"It smells sooo gooood!" Erika clapped her hands. "Can I get served first?"

"After me," I joked as I winked at her playfully.

"Not fair!" She protested, trying to look serious behind her smile. "Dad always says the youngest one get served first. So there!"

"Then wouldn't it be a good change if I got served first? Because I'm older than you," I asked, also trying to look serious.

"Actually _I_ am the oldest one here," my dad coughed as he put a piece of the lasagna on his own plate. "Thank you girls," he laughed.

"Hey!" Erika pouted at him while everyone laughed. I grabbed the lasagna and put a piece of it at Erika's and my own plate. "You happy now?" I asked her with a smile.

"Mhum," she replied happily as she munched on her food.

Suddenly dad tapped his finger against the table, making us all look his way. He wasn't laughing anymore, but he got a serious look on his face as he looked at us. After the room fell silent, he opened his mouth to speak. "I have something to tell you," he said calmly.

"Did something happen?" Fiona asked, worry evident in her voice.

I also laid down my fork, wondering what was so important he wanted to tell us.

"It's about my workplace," he told us. "I got offered a better paid score at Twinleaf Town for the same company I work for. But as you know, I can't commute between Johto and Sinnoh. It's far too long. So I've been thinking about moving back to our old house in Sinnoh. I won't force you, but I would be really happy to get that job. Maybe then we can afford a tropic vacation every summer."

"Back to Sinnoh you say?" Fiona asked as she tapped her chin. "It's fine by me. I actually miss my old friends there."

"Yeah, Twinleaf Town!" Erika said with happiness in her eyes. "I can meet big brother again! I really, really, really miss him!"

"What do you say, Dawn?" My dad asked me.

I looked up from my plate at met his happy, blue eyes. I wasn't so sure about this. What would my old classmates say? I haven't returned to school ever since that embarrassing reject. Maybe they thought I ran away? Like a sissy. "Um, I..."

"You will loooove our old house, Dawn!" Erika grabbed my arm with her small hands. "And I bet you will love big brother too! He is really nice and he always plays with me. I think he's the same age as you, isn't he mom?"

"Big brother?" I asked as I turned to Fiona.

"Oh, the son of our neighbors back in Twinleaf. Erika calls him big brother even though we're not related," she laughed at the memories. "He treats her like a little sister and that's why she pretends he is her older brother."

"Oh," I said. "But still..."

"If you're afraid of going back to your old school again, you can always attend that private school nearby," dad offered. "But the choice is yours."

I thought about it for a moment. On the bright side, isn't this a great chance to fix my previous mistakes? Or at least try?

Erika nudged my arm again, looking hopefully up at me. "Pretty, pretty please?"

By the looks of it, everyone wanted to go back so I just shrugged. "If everyone wants to go, then it's fine by me," I forced a smile. "I won't stand in the way."

"Hoorayyy!" Erika cheered and hugged me tightly. "You are the bestest sister ever!"

"And you are the bestest little sister ever," I laughed as I hugged her back.

"Are you really sure about this, honey?" My dad asked, even though he looked very relieved. "Because we don't have to move if you really like it here."

"Yeah, I guess," I replied. "It actually began to be quite boring here. I miss my old home town too."

Even though I was kind of scared, I also had a small feeling I was doing the right thing. I had a feeling my life would be anything but boring from now on.

* * *

 **This was a rather quick update because I already had this written. The real story won't start until the next chapter though, which I will hopefully post by next Wednesday.**

 **Until next time :)**


	3. Welcome back?

**Sorry for the late update. I was busy.. Now on with the next chapter;**

* * *

Unpacking, put things in right place and even more unpacking. That's basically what the next few days involved. Erika was especially happy about moving back to their old home, and as soon as we got here she went straight to her old neighbors to greet them. That was Erika just being Erika, a friendly soul which could make friends with anyone. Moving away from Cherrygrove City wasn't a big deal, even though I managed to make some friends there. We weren't really that close, but that's mostly my own fault for being so isolated the first few months. But could you blame me? I was still in shock.

For some reason, I found peace in reading and gardening flowers while we lived in Johto. They say Cherrygrove is the city where you can smell small flowers and sea breeze, and I can confirm that's true. When I felt down, I could just walk to the beach and read a good book. And I love how you easily can get lost in your own world while reading.

By the time I was finished unpacking and putting things on right spot in my room, it was pitch black outside. I brushed my jogging pants and walked over to the window, resting my elbows on the window frame. As I opened the window, the cool October breeze hit my face. Man, I had missed the weather in Sinnoh. Even though most people prefer warm, tropical weather, I preferred colder weather. My window had the perfect sight towards the garden and apple three right next to the window. The house itself wasn't bad. It was bigger than the houses I lived in before, but honestly I preferred small, cozy homes. As I was lost in my random thoughts, two small hands spanked my back.

"Boo!"

"Aah!" I cried in surprise, backing away.

"Did I scare you?" Erika asked as she giggled.

"You could say that," I replied and put a hand over my chest. "What are you doing up so late? It's school tomorrow."

"About that..." She looked at the floor and poked her fingers together. "Could you follow me there? Dad's working early tomorrow and mom's not feeling so well."

"Well of course," I smiled at her, ruffling her hair playfully. "But only if you go back to sleep this instant."

"Okay sir," she saluted, dashing out of the room.

"It's _madam_ for you!" I called after her, but I don't think she even heard me.

I closed the window and yawned. I was tired after all that unpacking and decided to go to sleep myself. I lazily kicked off my socks and jumped under the blanket, making myself comfortable.

So tomorrow was it. I would face my old friends, the people I used to bully, same old teachers, old crush... I put the blanket over my face in embarrassment. Asking out Paul was something I always found extremely embarrassing to remember. But at least it's better to regret something you did than didn't. Anyway, I couldn't wait to see their reaction as I walked into the school. Maybe they wouldn't take it as bad as I imagined. They must have matured a lot those two years after all.

Suddenly I realized something. "Erika! Could you close the door?"

* * *

" _Dawn_!"

Hm?

" _DAWN_!"

"What's going on?" I muttered half asleep, half awake. The banging on my door became louder, and curiously I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The room was still dark, so I didn't see any reason to wake up just now.

The door flew open, and Erika, already in her school uniform, poked her head inside. "You do know it's seven-thirty?" She asked. "My school starts eight fifteen, and not to be selfish but I don't want to be late."

"It's that late!?" I screamed as I jumped out of the bed in no time. I ran over to the drawn curtains, letting in the dazzling morning sunlight. Geez, I shouldn't have picked black curtains. "Go wait for me downstairs meanwhile," I told her. "I'm just taking a quick shower and getting dressed."

"Okay," she replied, obedient doing as I told her to.

I rushed over to the wardrobe and picked out a random pink sweater, black jeans and a black scarf. I also picked my usual pale pink knitted hat. I had a lot of knitted hats, and I didn't feel like I was being myself without one. I didn't bother doing anything with my hair and placed the clothes on my bed.

After my two minute long shower, I threw my sweater over my head and tried to put on my jeans at the same time. I glanced at the clock, seven-thirty nine. Yes, I could make it! My school didn't start until eight-thirty, so I could spend a little time with Erika at her school too. I wrapped the scarf around my neck as I rushed down the stairs and into the living room. There was still unopened boxes laying around, and I guess my parents got tired of unpacking too. Erika laid on the sofa with a bowl of cornflakes as she watched some cartoon on the television. "You ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied and shut the television off. "We're going to leave now? Aren't you going to eat something?"

"No, I'll just buy something at the grocery store nearby," I shrugged, walking into the hall to grab my pink boots and red coat.

Erika walked after me, putting on her red boots and green rain jacket. She was going to the private elementary school not far away from my high school. The school mainly focused on music, which Erika loved. She could already play various piano pieces, even though she still had a lot more to learn. My dad offered me to attend the private high school, but I would rather attend my old school. I wasn't even gifted in music, so there really wasn't any point in attending the private school.

"Ready?" I asked as she grabbed her green umbrella with chikorita pattern on.

"Ready," she confirmed, grabbing my hand.

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Fiona asked in a sleepy voice as she walked down the stairs. Her blonde hair was messy, and she still got a long night dress.

"Yeah," I replied. "I know you're not feeling well, so I'll make dinner when I get home. Make sure to drink a lot of water and rest."

"Thank you, Dawn," she smiled thankfully at me. "Have a good day, you two. And oh, your dad told me you could invite any of your old friends home any time you'd like, Dawn. What was their name, May, Serena?"

"Oh, um, that was ages ago," I told her quietly as a stabbing pain hit my stomach. "Were not really friends anymore." That was true. My dad left while I was still in the second grade. At that time I had different friends, so he couldn't know if I still was on good terms with them today or not.

"Oh well, anyway good luck both of you," she said and waved.

"Goodbye, mommy!" Erika waved with her free hand as we exited the house. I didn't bother locking the door as Fiona was at home, so we continued to walk down the street, hand in hand.

"Dawn?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss your old classmates?"

"Um, well I do wonder how they're doing. Do you miss yours?"

"Yeah, a whole lot," she replied as she jumped over a puddle. "I hope we're still having Mrs. Morgan. She's super nice!"

"Mhm," I shortly replied, continuing on walking forward.

"Where are you going? We're here now," she informed me, dragging me inside a gate.

"Oh," I simply replied, letting her drag me into a playground full of kids. Some of them stopped playing and stared at us in awe. I waved at some of them, making them wave back with huge smiles plastered on their faces. Could some of them be Erika's old friends who recognized her?

"Oh look! Erika's back!" A young boy's voice called beside us. Soon we were surrounded by a lot of kids, all of them greeting or hugging Erika. Before I could say anything, I felt myself being pushed off the crowd. Not that I minded that. I watched happily as Erika reunited with her old classmates, and if I'm not mistaken I could see her tearing up a bit.

I put a hand up. "Well, I'll come back to pick you up later, kay? I'm sorry I can't stay."

I don't think she heard me as the loud cheering from the kids got louder, everyone bombarding her with questions. Someone tugged my coat, making me look down at the kid. "Aren't you a little too young to be a mother?" A small boy asked as he stared at me with big, ocean blue eyes.

"I'm her older sister," I sweatdropped.

"You're pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?" The boy asked hopefully.

"That's very sweet of you to say," I smiled at him, ruffling his hair. "And no, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Are you sad because of it?"

"No, not really," I replied honestly.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend then?"

"No, that's not possible," Erika said as she approached me. "I already promised our neighbor's son that he is the one Dawn's going to marry!"

"You WHAT!? Are you serious or just messing with me?" I asked shocked. I knew she liked to play matchmaker, but to promise a complete stranger my hand in marriage was a bit too much. "W-Which neighbor?"

"You'll know when we get home, and of course I'm serious" she winked at me. "He's tall, cute, good in sports and he got the softest hair in the whole wide world. I already told him all about you and he said you sounded like the perfect girl. Isn't that great?"

"He did?" I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to remember if I saw a neighbor guy similar to her description. I couldn't remember though. There was tugging on my coat again.

"If he breaks up with you call me so I can beat him up, okay?" The small boy spoke up as he puffed up his chest.

I blinked at him and burst out laughing. He was just too cute. "Of course," I replied and glanced at my watch. Eight fifteen! Only a quarter left until the school bell rung! "I gotta run, but I'll pick you up later okay?" I cried as I dashed out of the school playground.

I ran as fast as I could down the street, keeping an eye on the signs. I lived at the opposite side of Twinleaf than I did before, and the streets were quite unfamiliar. The neighborhood here seemed to be more wealthy though. I checked my watch again, and by the looks of it I wasn't going to make it in time. Knowing that being late on the first day wouldn't look good on the report card I speeded up a bit. Soon I glimpsed the large, white building, making me relax a bit. I took a shortcut and ran into the parking lot, trying to dodge the cars. It wasn't until I reached the school gate I began to walk normally again.

There were still students hanging out outside, enjoying the chill October weather. It wasn't really cold or warm, just normal. The crisp breeze kicked up a few leaves up from the ground, sending them flying across the ground. I took a deep breath and walked up the stone pathway which lead to the school's main building. I looked around, spotting a few football fields, various threes and a small flower garden which caught my eye. An old man watered the tulips all by himself, and I decided to go greet him another time.

"Oh my Arceus, it's _Dawn_ ," a voice spoke up nearby.

"So the rumors were true. The bitch's back in town."

I looked up and watched as some people walked out of my way, some of them even had this frightened look on their faces. 'Okay, relax,' I told myself. 'I came here because I wanted to fix my old mistakes.' The old me would snap at them, but determined to make them realize I've changed, I simply smiled at them.

Neither of them smiled back, just giving me the same dumb looks. I looked down, letting my bangs cover my face. I continued to walk around the halls as people starting murmuring around me. Every time I rounded a corner, the people around me fell silent. I could feel the weight of their gaze, making my face heat up. This was truly awkward.

By the time I reached the main office, the bell went off. Looks like I made it on time after all. I walked up to a lady sitting by a desk. "Hi, I'm Dawn Berlitz. I'm a new student here."

The lady looked up from her papers, sending me a warm smile. "Dawn Berlitz? Oh, we're happy to have you again."

"Thank you, do you know where I can get my schedule?" I asked.

"Yes, the principal would like to have a word with you and then give you your schedule," she informed, nodding at a wooden door to her left.

I nodded and walked towards the wooden door. The door got a silver plaque reading 'Professor Rowan.' I took another deep breath and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in," I heard.

I opened the door and quietly walked in, closing the door behind me. The room was brown and slightly larger than I first imagined. Professor Rowan sat on a desk in the middle with a serious look on his face. "Hi," I smiled.

"Welcome back, Berlitz," he said. "Please take a seat." He motioned towards an extra chair in front of him. If I didn't know him from before I would be quite scared of his serious look and emotionless expression. But I know he always looks like this, and he's not as strict as he looks like. I sat down straight and put my blue school bag on the floor.

"First of," he spoke up. "We're very happy to have you back, Berlitz. "

"Thank you," I smiled slightly.

"However, I am still familiar with the affairs you used to get into," he said, looking me straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm fully aware of that," I replied. "But I've changed since then. There are so many things I wish I haven't done, and that's why I came back again. To fix things."

He nodded, listening at what I had to say. "We do believe you. I read through your report card from the other school, and I got to say I'm impressed. There is a big change of your behavior, and your grades are excellent. Though your A+ in math hasn't changed." He smiled knowingly at me. "That's why I've decided to put everything behind us and let you get a new, fresh start. But..."

"But?"

"I'm only giving you three chances. Three slip ups and I got to expel you. Is that clear?" He asked with another serious look on his face.

"Yes sir," I replied. "I won't disappoint you."

"That's great to hear," he nodded as he handed me my schedule. "Here you go. I wish you good luck on your first day."

"Thanks again," I smiled as I walked out of the room and into the empty hallways. Everyone finally got to their first classes already. Great, no one would stare me down now. I looked through my schedule to see which class I was in and which locker number I had.

Locker 202. After walking forth and back for a bit I finally found my locker. I put in my coat and school bag, only taking my pink pencil case and a notebook with me. I didn't get any books yet, so I think I got to get them by myself at the library later. I gathered together my courage and walked off to the first class of the day, English with Harley.

I eventually found the classroom, knocking lightly at the door. A young man with purple hair and a green snow helmet on came to open the door. By the sight of me he smiled widely. "Hello there, new student!" He greeted me rather loudly.

"Er, hi," I greeted back, a bit taken back by his friendliness. And why the heck was he wearing a helmet?

"Class! Our new student has arrived at the crib!" He announced, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sure all of you already know her." Some students looked up at me with wide eyes, whispering amongst each other. I looked down as I felt a wave of nervosity wash over me.

"Alright, who got a free seat for Dawn?" Harley asked, looking around the classroom. No one spoke up, everyone avoiding his gaze. Ash, who sat in the back, waved friendly at me, but Misty whacked his head.

So she was still was mad at me...

There was a couple open seats, but no one raised their hand. I went back to look down at the floor.

"Don't be shy, cookies," Harley said with a frown. "Ash? Did I see you waving?"

"No, he didn't," Misty quickly spoke up. "He was just.. uh.. rubbing the back of his head."

"Is that a free seat I see over there?" Harley continued, eyeing an empty desk next to Ash.

"No, it's Iris'," Misty explained.

"And where's Iris?" Harley raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

"At the dentist, but..."

"No buts!" Harley said loudly, giving me a small push. "Go sit with them," he smiled at me with a softer tone.

I walked all the way to the back, feeling everyone's gazes on me. I put my pencil case and notebook on the desk and quietly sat down. Misty rolled her eyes and went back to look outside the window. Ash however, dense as he always has been, gave me a smile. "Hi Dawn." He greeted cheerily. "Glad to see you again."

"Hi Ash," I shyly greeted him back. Just then Misty shot me one of her famous death glares, making my smile fade away. She mouthed something to me; _Bitch._

"As I was saying, we are also going for a field trip next week to Snowpoint sky resort."

The once quiet classroom broke up into loud cheers, claps and whistles. Everyone seemed to be top motivated to leave for the mountains. Harley knocked on the front desk to calm everyone down, which soon turned out to be a hard task as everyone just got louder. "Quiet! We still have to arrange the rooms. Each group can consist of max five people and each group are going to sleep in small cabins. Is that clear? You may form your groups _now._ "

I sat quietly on my desk as the whole room became noisy. No one even bothered to look my way as they happily organized the groups on their own. Even Ash got up from his seat and approached his friends from the football club. I sighed as Harley walked over to me.

"Don't be shy, hun," he smiled at me. "Why won't you form groups with those girls?" He asked, nodding at Misty, May and Serena. May was telling them something, making the two other girls burst out laughing. Forming groups with the girls I used to bully? Not a good idea, and especially not now.

"Er, I don't think that's a good ide-"

"Nonsense!" Harley snorted, grabbing me by my shoulder and pushing me towards the girls. "Hello cookies!" He greeted them, still holding me by my shoulder. "Is there still room for our new student in your group?"

All of them exchanged a glance, an awkward silence approaching us. "Actually," Misty spoke up, glaring at me. "It isn't. We're still missing Iris and I think Zoey would like to be in our group."

"I'm fine," I shook Harley's hands off my shoulder. "I think I'll go to the group over there."

"But every other group is full?" Harley said in a puzzled tone.

"It's okay," May spoke up quietly. "She can stay with us."

"Excellent, May!" Harley smiled. "I'll leave her here under your angel wings." And with that he was gone to bug the other students.

"You're going to sit, or?" Serena asked me as she raised an eyebrow. I awkwardly grabbed a chair and sat down, looking at the desk. Neither of them spoke up, and the funny conversation they once had was gone by now.

* * *

 **Yes, I know. More OOC characters D: But don't get me wrong, I love all the Pokégirls. I just want their friendship to develop over time**

 **Okay, all done for now! Thank you all for the nice reviews, I really appreciate them all**

 **Until next time :D**

 **(Btw I have set up a poll where you can vote on which Iris and Serena you'd like to see. Please vote and let me know)**


	4. The art of carrying on

I couldn't bear the silence any longer.

I moved my gaze from the floor to the clock that hung above the whiteboard. Twenty minutes until the bell rang and class was off. I looked up at the girls for the first time, only to see Misty crossing her arms and looking outside the window with a blankly. Serena was possibly flicking through pictures on her pink cell phone, and May was looking at her hands with a troubled face expression. It seemed like she was about to speak up, but dropped it on the last minute.

This was torture. It was obvious they were mad because Harley forced me into their group, and the fact that I was stuck in their cabin for the whole field trip didn't make the situation any better. "Excuse me," I spoke up, breaking the heavy silence. "I'm just going to the toilet."

None of them bothered to answer, but May nodded shortly. I stood up and walked over to Harley who sat on the front desk. "I'm just going to the toilet. I'll be right back," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I guess that's okay," he replied as his face twisted into a frown. "Is there anything that bothers you? Has something happened between you and the girls in your group?"

"No, of course not!" I said rather quickly. "They have all been nice to me."

"Oh alright," he spoke as his gaze suspiciously flickered around the noisy classroom. "You may go, but come back soon so I can hand you the informational papers."

"Of course," I said as I exited the classroom. I let out a sigh of relief as I strolled down the empty hallway and into the girls' toilets. I went straight to the sink and turned on the tap, cold water gushing out. I shakily splashed the cold water on my face, looking up to meet my own eyes at the mirror. 'Okay Dawn, you can do this,' I told myself. 'It's fully understandable why they hate you. You would probably act like them if you were in their shoes.' I turned the tap off and sat down, hugging my knees to my chest. I didn't feel like going back to class just yet. Heck, I didn't even need to go to the toilet. Anything was better than to go back to that classroom.

I snapped my head up as someone barged through the door and loud laughter bounced around the room. Three girls strolled in, everyone instantly shutting their mouth as they noticed me sitting on the floor. The first girl, a brunette with chocolate brown eyes looked suspiciously at me as she let out a gasp. She dramatically slapped her hand to her mouth; "Dawn! Is that _you_!?"

I looked confusedly at the other girls and back to the brunette. They looked somewhat familiar too. "Um yeah," I finally answered.

"Oh my Arceus!" She gasped once again, walking towards me and offered her hand. "Why are you sitting here like some loser? Get the hell up!"

"Giselle?" I asked, getting up to my feet without grabbing her hand. I had no interest in joining her and her so called friends again, and I certainly didn't need her help.

The other girls laughed shortly, but Giselle just rolled her eyes. "Well I'm not Misty. Oh my gosh, where have you been hiding? You just suddenly disappeared after that cafeteria incident, so me and Ursula got soo worried and ran around the school looking for you! And then the news about your mother reached the school, and oh my gosh, are you okay?"

She grabbed both of my shoulders and looked into my eyes with a sad expression. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. _Yeah, you sure have been worried about me. You and your other so called friend went straight to the toilets to backbite me instead of comforting me. You betrayed me the time I needed you the most._

"Like, me and Giselle tried to call you a thousand times but you never picked up the phone," the pink haired girl rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you pick up? We also sent you tons of text messages."

 _Funny. I got my cell phone on the whole time but I never got your messages nor calls._

"And what happened to your clothes?" Giselle let go of my shoulders and grimaced at my attire. "Childish pink sweater, black jeans? Ew, I know about your mother's economy, so feel free to lend my old clothes any time you'd like," she winked at me. "Oh, I think I have a spare outfit in my locker. And luckily for you, I just ordered new cheerleading clothes. You can get them for free," she smiled. "Isn't that great?"

I had no interest in joining the cheerleading team either, and also not join Giselle and her gang again. If I said yes to their offer, I would just go back to being my old self again. After all I promised myself I would fix up my mess. Forgetting about the promise would just make me a giant hypocrite. "Um- I.."

"Oh how rude of us," Giselle spoke up as she turned her heel and grabbed the third girl's hand. She had short, brown hair and was pretty short in general. As I met her seagreen eyes she gave me a friendly smile. "This is Brianna," Giselle explained. "She moved here shortly after you left."

"Hi," she smiled once again.

I just smiled back at her, before turning my attention back on Giselle again. She bent down and pulled out two pink pompoms and handed me them. "Here," she told me. "It's practice after school today."

I stared at the pompoms in contempt. How dumb did they think I was? Did they seriously think I would run back to them after what they did? It's true that they didn't know I heard their backbiting, but I could clearly see them behind their sorry little act. Even though I accepted their offer, things would never be the same again. And besides, they replaced me with that Brianna girl already.

I flashed her a fake smile and accepted the pompoms. As Giselle's smile widened, I tossed the pompoms, much to her dismay. The pompoms hit the tiled floor with a small thud, and the brunette looked at me like I was going insane. "What the hell!?"

I haven't been this angry in a really long time, and even though I rarely lost my temper anymore I couldn't just hold it in. "Firstly, I don't do cheerleading anymore. Second, I'm sick and tired of your lies. And thirdly, I don't need you or your fake little gang anymore. I can see you all through your little acts, and I'm not going to submit to anyone like you anymore. I've learnt my lessons. I'm not your little bitch anymore."

I walked past the shocked three girls as I smiled victoriously. The whole room fell silent again, and as I reached for the door knob Giselle's dry laughter was heard. "You think you're cool now, huh?" She asked with her back facing me. "Dawn, darling, I've known you since forever. I know all your weaknesses, like that you're a insecure, little bitch on the inside. You wouldn't survive out there without us, so at least be grateful we want you back in our group and accept those damn pompoms."

"And how'd you know I wouldn't survive without you?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You really don't know?" Ursula butted in. "They _hate_ you out there, and I bet you've noticed that too. You have only been here for like two hours and there's already nasty rumors about you spreading out there. So at least be thankful for that we're kind enough to welcome you with open arms back to our group."

"Yeah, after making me suffer for so long," I snapped. "As I said, I don't need you or your damned pompoms. I'm going to be just as fine on my own. At least I'm not a spoiled, selfish bitch anymore, and that's a great start. I'd rather be alone than being seen with people like you. In fact, I feel sorry for all of you," I said as I twisted the doorknob and slipped out. I smiled for myself as I heard Giselle screaming angrily and walked down the slightly more crowded hallway. The bell went off, and I realized I missed the whole first period. I shrugged and went into the classroom to get my pencil case and notebook which I had left behind. The classroom was pretty much empty, and I walked over to the desk next to Ash to grab my stuff. As I reached out for the notebook I noticed that someone had scribbled something on the cover. The words "slut" and "Go back to the slum where you came from" was written in bold letters, and even though I expected something like this to happen I couldn't help but feel hurt on the inside.

But some dumb sentences wasn't going to stop me. I pulled out the schedule and looked at which class I had next. Advanced math, my very favorite! All of sudden my sadness washed away, and I happily skipped to the class next door. At least this was a class which you mainly sat by yourself and solved problems, so I would be just fine. I entered the classroom and scanned the room. The most of the faces were familiar, and because most of the students had basic math the classroom wasn't very crowded. I quickly walked over to a desk beside the large windows and sat down. I pulled out my eraser to erase the scribbling on my notebook.

"Um Dawn," a voice called. I looked up to face Serena and another blonde guy with glasses. "This is the advanced math class, the basic one is right across the hallway," she informed.

"I know," I replied as nicely as I could. "I'm at the right classroom."

"Oh okay," she replied as she exchanged a glance with the blonde guy. "By the way, here's the informational paper for the field trip." She sounded pretty irritated as she opened her school bag and pulled out a nicely folded paper. "If you're going to be in our class at least try to keep up. It's your responsibility after all."

"Yeah, of course," I looked down on my desk. "Sorry."

"Whatever."

As she and boy walked away I folded out the paper and skimmed through the information. We were going to leave next Monday, exactly one week from today. And we were also going to stay there for five days. Five days at the ski resort, sounded like heaven! After all winter was my favorite season, and I didn't see or experience much of it back at Johto.

"Sorry I'm late," the teacher apologized as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He looked pretty stressed out and walked straight to the whiteboard. He grabbed a pen and started writing page numbers all over the whiteboard.

Everyone else causally opened their text books and started solving the problems with serious looks on their faces. I looked around the class and back at my own notebook again. Shit, I forgot to get my text books from the library. What was I going to do now? As the teacher turned around to face the students, my hand began to get higher and higher.

"Oh, we got a new student?" The teacher rubbed the back at his head. "I'm sorry, but we got no time for introductions right now. We're all preparing ourselves for the big test on Friday."

"That's not it," I spoke up quietly. "I need to get my text books from the library."

A chorus of groans broke out from the class, and I hung my head even lower. The teacher searched through a stack of papers and picked out a few. He collected them together in a small stack and handed them over to me. "Here you go," he said. "Solve these until you get your text book."

"Thanks," I smiled at him. Some of the other students rolled their eyes and gave me a dumb look. I decided to ignore them and solve the problems in silence. It's just to breathe through it. Next period was lunch, and after three more periods I can get Erika and just head home.

The problems wasn't as hard as I feared, and the class ended too quick for my liking. I sighed as I collected together my stuff and quickly walked out of the classroom. The hallway was now more crowded than ever, and I slipped through the people towards my locker. I put in my stuff and headed towards the cafeteria. I followed the crowd, and after a few minutes I arrived at the old cafeteria. It hasn't changed much, through there was slightly more people here than I remembered. The tables were all full already, and as I looked at them nothing much has changed. You could see who's supposed to be 'cool' and who's not.

I could see May and her group sitting by the front, along with the guys from the football team. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but wonder how things would've been if I still were friends with her. After all, it's my own fault for not sitting there right now. As if Misty could read my thoughts, she turned and looked straight at me. I immediately looked away and up at the menu.

"I'll take ramen noodles and strawberry milk, please," I said as I reached the front line.

"Of course, here you go," the lunch lady gave me a kind smile as she handed me a bowl of ramen noodles. "You'll get your milk over there," she nodded at a vending machine nearby.

"Thanks," I said politely as I handed her the money and grabbed the bowl of noodles. I pulled my free hand in my pant pockets to searched for some pennies. I didn't look up and walked straight into someone, almost dropping my food.

I winched as was about to lose my balance, but just then someone grabbed my hand, preventing me to fall. As I was up on my feet again, I brushed my bangs away from my eyes and looked up at the kind person. The guy was tall, had plum colored hair and his skin was slightly tanned. As he glanced down at my face his onyx eyes darted away, a frown forming on his face. Oh dear Arceus. It was no one else than _Paul_. Undoubtedly, he had gotten more handsome with the ages, and I couldn't help getting a few shades redder. I'm not sure it was because I was embarrassed for asking him out two years ago or because I still liked him. "Um, thanks," I spoke up quietly.

"Troublesome," he just growled back as he walked towards a table.

Okay then...

I put a penny in the vending machine and got my strawberry milk. I grabbed a tray and placed my food on it before walking towards the tables. No one bothered looking up at me, but as soon as I came near their tables, they placed a bag on the open seat. Someone even dared looking into my eyes and call names after me. I kept my blank expression, not wanting them to see how much their comments hurt. As I reached the other end of the cafeteria I looked outside at the fresh October breeze. There weren't any seats left for me here, so why not eat outside? I felt people's gazes on me as I placed my food on the window sill and jumped out of the window. Then I simply grabbed my tray and walked towards the small flower garden I saw earlier. I would rather eat outside than on the dirty cafeteria floor, even if it was kind of chilly. I flopped down on the grass and eyed the various tulips dancing in the breeze. The most of the tulips were red and yellow, but a certain purple one in the middle of a bunch of red ones caught my attention.

"I know how you feel, little tulip," I whispered as I grabbed the fork to eat the ramen noodles. "Believe me, I do." I closed my eyes and let the memories I tried to hold back for so many years flow back again.

 _ **x Flashback, 8 years ago x**_

 _"Look May!" A seven year old Dawn screamed as she proudly held up a drawing. "I've designed my very own Pokémon Contest dress! What do you think?"_

 _May looked up from her own drawing and looked at Dawn's. Her eyes widened and a happy grin filled her face. "It's so pretty!" She squealed. "Though I think you used too much pink and glitter."_

 _"I like pink and glitter," Dawn replied, putting the drawing back on the table. "Have you finished yours yet?"_

 _"No, not yet," May pouted, hitting her head against the table. "My drawing looks horrible! I can't draw. I'll never be able to design my own dress."_

 _"That's not true," Dawn stated, patting her best friend's back. "One day me and you are going to become great Coordinators. My dad always says practice makes perfect, and if you really set your mind to it you can do anything!" The bluenette dramatically spread out her arms and giggled._

 _"That's kinda funny," May spoke up. "My dad says no one can be perfect."_

 _"Listen up, children!" The teacher clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention. All of the attention was soon aimed at the little, blonde girl hiding behind the teacher's legs, looking shyly at the class. "This is Serena Jones," she announced. "She moved here all the way from Kalos, and I hope you all are going to make friends with her."_

 _"Of course miss Wilson," the entire class chorused as she gently pushed Serena forward. "Is there an open seat for our new friend?" She asked._

 _"HERE!" Everyone yelled excitedly, everyone raising their hands including May and Dawn. Some even jumped up on the small tables. The teacher gestured them to sit down before turning to Serena again. "Sit wherever you'd like, sweetheart."_

 _Serena shyly walked forwards, giving small smiles to everyone. She stopped by May and Dawn's table, curiously eyeing the drawings. "Did you draw those?" She asked in a small, cute voice._

 _"Yeah," Dawn smiled at her. "We're designing our future Contest dresses! Me and May are going to become coordinators together someday."_

 _"Sounds like fun," Serena said. "Can I draw with you? I love to draw dresses too!"_

 _"Of course," May says patting a seat next to her. "What do you think about my design? I know my drawing is uglier than Dawn's, but I'm still practicing."_

 _"It's not ugly," the blonde said as she eyed the drawing. "Though the dress is a little boring. It's all red with blue polka dots."_

 _"It's not polka dots, it's ribbons," Dawn corrected her._

 _"Oh, but it doesn't look like it," she replied. "And oh! What if we place a big, white ribbon back here, and some frills here.. And let's end it all with some blondes over here! Please pass me the red crayon."_

 _"Oki doki," May said fascinated as she handed her the whole crayon box. Dawn looked hurtfully as Serena scribbled on the dress she and May designed together. They was supposed to match, Dawn in pink and May in red. And now the new girl was randomly going to redesign the dresses they made? This way the dresses wasn't going to be special any longer in Dawn's opinion._

 _"Um I don't want to be mean, but we were supposed to make those dresses together without any help," Dawn spoke up as she eyed Serena's redesigning._

 _"She's just helping me," May told her bluenette friend. "And don't worry, they're still going to be special."_

 _"Do you want me to help you fix your drawing too?" Serena offered without looking up._

 _Dawn glanced at her drawing and back at Serena's. She got to admit the new girl was amazing at drawing and designing. Till now Dawn had been the best drawer in the class, so jealously she shook her head. "No thanks," she replied._

 _The days went by, and by every day that passed May and Serena became better friends. They would do everything she and Dawn used to do, like swinging on the swings. The small playground only had two swings which mostly Dawn and May spent the recess at while singing their favorite songs out loud. Now Dawn had to sit at the sand beside them and watch May and Serena swing as they sang a unfamiliar song. Curious, Dawn looked up from the sand. "What are you guys singing?" She asked._

 _"Just the best song ever!" Serena happily replied. "It's from a movie we saw last weekend."_

 _"From the weekend?" Dawn asked hurtfully._

 _"Yeah! We had a sleepover!" May cheerily replied, neither of them noticing the sad expression Dawn got on her face. She didn't get invited to any sleepover. Usually just May and her used to have sleepovers where they would stay up as late as they could while eating snacks and telling each other stories. That would drive their parents nuts, but the two girls would have a good time anyway. "I- I didn't get invi-"_

 _"Look!" Serena pointed at sandbox. "Ash and Gary are making a huuge sand castle! Let's go join them!" She jumped down from the swing and ran towards the sandbox._

 _"W- Wait!" May screamed as she slowed down the speed and carefully got down from the swing. Before she could run after the blonde, Dawn tugged her sleeve. "Um May, why didn't you guys invite me to the sleepover?"_

 _"I'm sorry, Dawn," May apologized with a sad look on her face. "Serena invited me over to her house, and I didn't know you weren't invited. Next weekend I'm going to have a sleepover, and you're definitely invited," she winked at me. Then she turned and ran to the sandbox. "Wait Serenaaa!"_

 _"Oh," Dawn simply replied as tears started to form on her eyes. 'That stupid best friend stealer!' Dawn thought angrily and kicked the sand. 'I'm not going to lose to her!' Dawn didn't bother joining the kids gathering around Gary and Ash. She sat on the same swing May had used and rocked slowly back and forth._

 _"Hey," a voice called beside the bluenette. She turned to her left and faced Giselle smiling at her._

 _"Hi," Dawn whispered. If she said anything more the tears would flow down uncontrollably. Dawn quickly wiped away a few tears with her sleeve._

 _"Don't you think those_ friends _of yours are really mean?" Giselle put up quotation marks with her fingers for emphasis. "How rude to have a sleepover without you. And swinging without asking you if you want to swing too?"_

 _"They're not mean," Dawn defended them. "They're my best friends!"_

 _"Really?" She got on the other swing and turned to look at Dawn. "Best friends don't treat each other like that. For me it looks like May and Serena are the best friends, and you're the third wheel."_

 _"I'm not the third wheel!" Dawn stated. "And it's not nice to eavesdrop!"_

 _Giselle just shrugged. "Okay, just tried to help you." She got off the swings and walked away. Dawn looked up and stared at Serena and May as they ran around and laughed while Ash ran after them with muddy hands. Could Giselle be right? Was she really the third wheel? Dawn shook the thought off and ran towards the sand box._

 _A few days later, the class was going for a forest trip. May and Serena were happily holding hands as they walked down the path, Dawn walking behind them all alone. Once again Giselle's word's replayed in her mind;_ For them you're the third wheel _. Dawn patted May's back, and as she looked back at her the bluenette gave her a kind smile. "Can I hold your hand?" She asked._

 _"Sorry, there's no space," May pointed out._

 _"But me and Serena can switch once in a while," Dawn suggested hopefully. "We always hold hands when we're going for field trips."_

 _"But me and Serena are best friends," May explained. "We're also best friends, but you're my number two bestest* friend."_

 _You are my number two._

 _An instant pain hit Dawn's stomach as the words replayed again and again in her mind. A number two. Is that how she viewed her!? Dawn slowed her pace as tears rolled down her small face. The sight became blurry, and Dawn bent down as she didn't bother walking any longer._

 _"Dawn!" A familiar voice called behind her. "Are you okay?"_

 _The bluenette looked up to face Giselle with a curious look on her face. As the girl looked the tears flowing down the bluenette's face, she bent down and embraced her in a tight hug. "Don't cry. It's those mean girls who did this to you, right? You don't have to be sad anymore, you don't need them either."_

 _And Dawn believed her. The next few months and years she spent playing and hanging out with Giselle and her other friend Ursula. In Dawn's opinion that was better than following Serena and May around like she used to. Ursula and Giselle didn't hide the fact that they didn't like May or Serena, and often called names after them. Naive as Dawn was, she thought they did that because they were mad at them for being mean to Dawn. It turned out they always had disliked them... The bluenette also took the opportunity to call names after them to let out her anger and jealousness. It didn't matter that she wasn't friends with them anymore, the sight of them together always stung._

 _As the years went by she always watched them from behind. She just couldn't help it. The worst was when they became friends with Iris in fifth grade. The new, athletic girl simply sled into their group, much to the bluenette's dismay. She never understood why they easily accepted Iris which had different interests than them, but not herself. Dawn and her cheerleader gang stopped calling names after them as they became friends with Misty. Dawn had always found the red head quite scary, but that didn't stop her from sending them glares across the hallways._

 _What never stopped amusing Dawn though was the fact that the four girls always had each other's back without any hesitation. None of them were any popular. Heck, anyone could think they were an easy target. But no matter what was thrown at them, they always managed to laugh it off and get over it._

 _It was nowhere like Dawn and her friends. When Dawn did something stupid, Giselle and Ursula made sure to remind her of that one thing and tell others about it. Dawn didn't mind them laughing, but sharing her embarrassing stories could be a bit too much at times._

 _Thinking back, there was many things Dawn never understood about friendship. But she was certain the bond she shared with Giselle and Ursula wasn't very strong. If they even shared a bond to begin with, that is._

 **x End flashback x**

I finished my bowl of noodles and set the tray aside. There was about three minutes left of recess, and I decided to just sit here and enjoy the fresh breeze. There was footsteps beside me, and I looked up only to face a green-haired guy with emerald eyes. He held a watering can in his hand and gave me a curious look. I recognized him as Drew Hayden, one of the guys from the football team.

"What are you doing here?" He asked calmly, turning his attention to the tulips as he began to water them.

I was surprised by his attitude. I was afraid he was going to roll his eyes at me or ignore my presence, but he didn't seem disgusted by me at all. In fact he didn't seem to mind me being here at all. "There wasn't any seats left back at the cafeteria," I explained. "So I decided to eat outside by those lovely tulips. It's weird they're still alive this late."

"Right, but it's been kinda warm for October to be," he smirked. "So I guess that's why they're still alive. By the way, aren't you freezing in that light sweater?"

"Nah, not really," I lied, trying my best not to shiver as a cold breeze flew by. "Do you come here often? Earlier I saw an elderly man watering the tulips all by himself."

"Yeah, I come here pretty often to water those flowers as no one else bother to do it," he paused to flick his green bangs away from his eyes. "And I don't believe you."

"What?"

"Here."

I gasped slightly as he threw his purple down jacket on top of my head. As I properly put it on Drew laughed at me. "You're a horrible liar," he said in a joking manner.

I laughed as well. "I know."

"Since when did you became interested in flowers?" He asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at me.

"When I lived back at Cherrygrove," I explained. "You can't really go through the city without noticing all those pretty flowers blooming everywhere around the city."

Just then the bell went off, and with a sigh I got up and gathered my stuff together. I was about to give his jacket back to him, but he shook his head. "Just keep it, I got another jacket back at my locker," he waved me off.

"Thanks, that's really kind of you," I said honestly. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, later," he said as he finished watering the flowers. I headed straight to the cafeteria to return the tray and throw the trash. I checked the schedule and realized I got P.E. next. I walked down the hallway once again and into the girl's locker room. I recognized everyone in the room, but as they looked at me they just rolled their eyes.

"Oh no, another class with the slut." I heard someone mutter, followed by some muffled laughter. I also noticed Giselle and her group in the corner of the room. She smirked knowingly at me, and I shyly slipped off my shoes. No, I wasn't going back to her group.

Great, another class where everyone can't stand me.

"Here," a voice called behind me. "Your P.E. uniform."

I swirled around and faced Iris. Guess she just came back from the dentist, or wherever she had been. "Thank you," I politely said, but she had already walked over to where Misty was standing. I quickly put on the white shorts and blue T-shirt we were required to wear during P.E. The shirt was baggy on me, but I didn't mind it. This way I felt less exposed in it. I put my hair up in a pony tail and walked past the other girls and towards the sports hall.

"Lonely lunch?" A voice taunted beside me, but I decided to ignore them.

I used to love P.E., mostly because I was in great shape due all the cheerleading I did. I quit cheerleading shortly after I moved because of the horrible memories that came with that sport, and now I was in a pretty decent shape. Not great, but not bad either.

I was the first girl who arrived at the sports hall. The guys were already running around to warm up, and the coach was writing something down on his notepad. I made my way towards him.

"Um, excuse me-"

"Well hello Dawn," he greeted me loudly. "It's great to have you back with us. And what a nice surprise to see a girl getting dressed up this fast. Your other female classmates have a lot to learn from you, young lady." He laughed at his own joke, leaving me confused beside him.

"Yeah, we have soo much to learn from her," Ursula's voice taunted sarcastically as she jogged into the hall.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I'm going to tell you all that after you've finished warming up," he told me nicely before turning to the other students. "Five more laps around the hall!" He yelled loudly.

I joined the guys and Ursula and started jogging around the hall. I noticed that the most of the guys were in this class, including Drew. I gave him a small smile, and he smiled back as he continued to jog. He turned to his plum haired friend and told him something. Oh Arceus. Paul was in this class too! I felt my heart skip a beat and forced myself to gaze down at the floor to keep my emotions in check.

The coach blew his whistle, making everyone instantly stop. I didn't know we were supposed to stop and slammed right into the person running in front of me. I rubbed my forehead as the person turned around to glare at me.

"Watch where you're running, troublesome," Paul growled.

"S- sorry," I apologized.

"Alright, kids! Today we're going to play a round of dodge ball. You already know the rules, and I hope you to know, Dawn?"

I nodded shyly as everyone's attention was turned to me.

"Good! Giselle and Misty are the captains picking the teams!" He announced loudly as he held an orange rubber ball.

"Yes!" Misty put on a victorious smile and strolled towards the center of the room. Giselle gave a tired sigh as she followed the redhead. Unlike Misty, she didn't seem motivated to play at all.

"I'll take Iris and Clemont," Misty said, nodding at them.

"Ursula and.. um Brianna," Giselle muttered, looking really bored.

"May and Drew," Misty continued.

I didn't see May around here. I looked around the crowd and noticed her walking towards Misty with a happy smile. There was something.. Different about her. Something I didn't notice back at class. I gasped lightly as I spotted what was different. She had gotten pretty slim since last time I saw her. Remember back when I called her chubby? Well she was far from chubby now.

"Hey unfair!" Brianna protested. "Drew was supposed to join our team!"

"Shut up, Brianna!" Giselle shoved her harshly. "Gary and Trip."

"Nooo!" Gary dramatically screamed as he fell down on his knees.

"Get up, idiot," Trip said as he walked towards Giselle. "Screaming won't get you out of this."

Misty tapped her chin as her eyes scanned through the crowd. "I'll take Ash and Serena."

"Paul and Barry, and that's everyone," Giselle shrugged.

Just as I thought. I was the last one to be picked.

"Okay captains, rock, paper and scissors for Dawn I guess," the coach rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't cheat," Giselle said as she prepared herself for the small battle.

"As if I would get down on your level," Misty snorted.

"What was that!?"

"You heard me-"

" _Girls_ ," the coach said in a warning tone, instantly shutting up the two girls. Reaching out their hands, both prepared themselves for the battle.

It turned out Misty did rock and Giselle did paper.

"Fine," Misty slapped a hand against her forehead. "She's with us."

I walked over to her team, not looking forwards to the game at all. Violence wasn't my thing, and I hated dodge ball with a passion. Thank Arceus I used to do cheerleading, so I wasn't doomed.

"Okay listen up," Misty spoke up as she eyed each one of the team. "I am _not_ going to lose to those three airheads on the other team, understood? I can't allow any of you to get hit by that ball." She looked especially at me. "And you, Dawn."

"Yeah?" I asked nervously.

"You should be careful. Everyone's probably going to aim for you since.. um.. you're the new kid and all."

"I'll be careful," I promised, getting into position.

"START!" The coach yelled as he blew his whistle. Shortly after, orange balls were flying through the air in every direction. I swallowed as I watched Serena and Drew from our team getting knocked out. Misty growled in annoyance and threw three balls at the other team.

On the other team, Giselle, Brianna and Ursula were screaming like crazy as they tried to avoid getting hit at. Probably because they wanted to get attention, too.

Gary grabbed a ball and threw it straight toward me. I closed my eyes tightly, and when I opened them shortly after, I discovered myself holding the ball in my hand. "Yeah!" I cheered as Gary was out of the game.

"Next time, blue!" He growled.

"What are you waiting for? Throw the ball!" Misty yelled beside me, gesturing to Trip and Paul which were the only ones remaining from the other team. Huh, that was rather quick.

"No! You take it!" I handed her the ball.

Paul took the opportunity and sent a ball flying towards me. I cartwheeled to the right, avoiding the ball. Right now I was really relieved that I used to do cheerleading!

Trip sent another ball towards me, but I quickly jumped up, the ball going under my legs. Misty and I were the only ones left on our team, and Paul and Trip were still the only ones left on the other team. Misty mostly threw the balls and I jumped, cartwheeled and ducked and did anything else I could to avoid getting hit by the ball.

"Stop dancing and try to throw too," Misty told me as she aimed for Trip. He easily grabbed the ball and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're out."

"What the hell!?" Misty gaped.

"You heard me, you're out," he repeated.

"Soon you're out too," I smiled victoriously as the ball I threw came straight to his face as he was busy talking with Misty. The ball hit his forehead rather weakly, and he rubbed the sore spot as he sent me a confused look. Ha, didn't see that one coming, did you?

"Yeah! Way to go Dawn!" Ash cheered from the back of the room.

"We're doomed!" another voice called. "Dawn is the only one left."

"Take her Paulie!" Giselle squealed.

The plum haired boy growled at the pathetic nickname before smiling victoriously at me."This one will be quick," he snorted and sent a ball flying towards me. And another one.

I kept dodging, jumping and ducking while my team cheered me on. I got to admit, this was quite fun! It was like doing cheerleading again, only in more appropriate clothes. Paul growled in annoyance again. "Would you stop bouncing like a rubber ball!?"

"Okay," I smiled at him as I easily grabbed the ball he threw towards me. "You asked for it."

Paul watched in amusement as I did a somersault in the air, landing softly on my feet and then threw the ball with all my might at Paul, followed by a small grunt.

He watched wide eyed as the ball hit him right on his stomach, not being able to react. "Shit," he commented as the ball bounced down on the floor.

"Yes! That was an awesome finale, Dawn!"

"Wow, didn't see that one coming!"

"Who would've known you got that in you?"

I was happy that my team actually cheered for me, and I was still smiling as I walked over to Paul and held out my hand. "Sorry for that," I apologized. "I hope I didn't cause you a stomach ache?"

The plum haired boy didn't even bother to reply. He shortly looked at my hand and then turned to walk away in silence. I slowly put down my hand, watching him as he disappeared into the guy's locker room.

"Drooling over my boyfriend?" Giselle's voice called from behind me. I backed away as a frown appeared on my face.

"Yeah, you heard right. My boyfriend," Giselle glared at me. "And don't think no one saw you all over Brianna's boyfriend too at recess."

"I wasn't a-all over him," I stammered, backing away more.

"HEY!" The coach yelled, making Giselle immediately back away and put on her fake, sweet smile. "What's happening back here?" He asked in a loud voice.

"N-Nothing!" Giselle smiled. The coach glared at her, and then looked back to me. "I don't tolerate any girl-nonsense in any of my classes." He looked especially at Giselle. "And especially not towards new students. On behalf of Giselle I apologize," he said, looking straight at me. "I saw you back there at the dodge ball, and I got to say you have talent! I don't get why they didn't pick you first. The way I see it, they should be fighting to _keep_ you in their team! But then again, I'll never get girls' logic."

 **XXX**

I eventually survived the school day, and once the bell went off I ran straight to the private elementary school to pick up Erika. I got there and stood by the gate, scanning the crowd of small children for a little girl with pink, curly hair. As the most of the kids had excited the gate, I turned my head from right to left once again. But no luck, there was no sign of her. I felt my heart start to pound from pure fear. I was not going to lose another family member!

"Excuse me," I asked a small girl as she walked past me. "Have you seen Erika?"

"Erika?" She asked as she exchanged a glance with the small boy she was walking with. "Another boy came to pick her up and she told us he was her brother," she told me.

'A kidnapper!?' I thought as a wave of fear washed over me. "T-Thanks!" I thanked her shakily as I dashed home. I slowed the speed as I realized the 'big brother' she always told me about was our neighbor. Maybe she walked home with him?

As I reached my new home I flung open the door and barged into the living room. Fiona was lying on the sofa and watching her soaps on the TV. "Oh, you're home already?" She asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I- is Erika at home? I heard she walked home with her so called brother."

"Oh, yeah that's true," Fiona laughed. "He always used to follow her back and forth to kindergarten. It must've grown into a habit, so she must have forgotten about you picking her up. But don't worry, she's playing at their house right now."

"Thank Arceus," I put a hand on my chest. "I was so scared. I'm going to make dinner now, but I got to buy some ingredients first. I'm going to the grocery store with Erika."

"Sounds good," she smiled at me. "Oh by the way, they live right there," she said, pointing to a big, blue house next door.

"Okay," I replied, walking out of the front door and towards the blue house to our left. The house was about three times as big as ours, and I looked around amused at all the flowers planted around the house growing nicely. I liked this house already. I walked up the stairs and knocked on the wooden door.

Shortly after, a mid-aged woman with lavender colored hair and dark brown eyes opened the door. She was tall and slim, and she wore a white tunic and blue jeans. She smiled kindly at me. "Hello," she greeted me cheerily.

"Hi," I greeted her back politely. "My name's Dawn and I live next door. I just came to pick up my sister Erika."

"Oh, you're her older sister?" She asked as she stepped aside. "Come in, sweetie. Erika's playing upstairs. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," I told her. "Erika's been talking nonstop about her 'older brother' and how awesome he is. I can't wait to meet him!"

She laughed at this. "Well, Erika's been around us pretty much all her life. Me and Fiona are close friends, so we partially do everything together. Because of that it's just natural she views our youngest son as her brother."

"So that's how it is," I nodded.

"Yes, just go upstairs and pick her up," she told me. "I'm pretty sure you'll find her soon enough."

"Okay, thanks!" I said as I walked up the stairs. The hallway was triple as long as our own, and I walked towards a slightly open door. I peeked inside and found Erika sitting on the floor while playing with Lego.

"There you are, you little monster!" I said as I jumped forward and attacked the six-year old into a tickle war. "Why did you ditch me? I was waiting for you outside the school this whole time!"

"I- I -I am sor-ry," the pink haired girl managed to say between her laughter. "St- stop it!"

I decided to be nice to her and let her go. She wiped away a tear from her laughter and gave me a sisterly hug. "How was your first day?" She asked, looking up at me with her big, blue eyes.

"It was.. interesting," I sweatdropped as she pulled away and went back to build with the Lego bricks. "And yours?"

"It was awesome!" She threw her hands up enthusiastically. "I can't wait to go back tomorrow!"

I growled mentally at the thought of going back to the endless drama, but I didn't say anything. No need to kill the moment. I watched her as she placed a Lego princess on top of the Lego castle in front of her. "Who made this?" I asked.

"He made it to me," she said, not taking her eyes off the castle.

"He?"

"Yeah, my older brother. I already told you about him," she grinned.

"I know," I said as I got up on my feet. "But I actually came to pick you up. We're going to the grocery store."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, I'll meet your brother some other time."

"What's with the rush?" an awfully familiar, cold voice called from the door. "And what are you doing in my house, stalker?"

I turned around and the most craziest, most unexpected thing happened. Standing by the doorframe with his arms crossed was no one else than Paul. He got a blank expression on his face as he eyed me up and down. But looking through his blank gaze, I could see he wasn't happy about me being in his home.

* * *

 **A rather long chapter this time, and a bit depressing, maybe? I hope I did okay on this.. English isn't my first (or second) language and I'm struggling with the grammar and describing the emotions and such, but I am trying! Don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism, I won't get mad :)** **I think they could help me improve my English.**

 **This chapter, especially the flashback, is based on events that have actually happened to me. With school and all starting up soon I have tons of thoughts floating through my mind. And what am I doing? Writing fanfiction to get away from my responsibilities, ahah..**

 **Again, thanks for reading/reviewing/favorite/following this story! I truly appreciate each one of you :D**


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